Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 319 - 318: Testing the Medicine

When the first "Jie Country bandit soldier" fell from his horse due to total paralysis, the others around him realized something was wrong.

The next moment, the Jin Country soldiers, who had been lying in ambush, rushed in.

Those men hurriedly resisted while seeking an opportunity to escape, but like before, with nowhere to run, they chose to bite the poison pouch and die.

In no time at all, several of them were dead.

Having prepared for this, Lu Qing and Yan Daoxin remained calm, instructing the talisman-bearers to find the ones with silver needles still in their faces, completely paralyzed and unable to move, among the dead. They were all carried back to the temporary camp, securely bound. The talisman-bearers efficiently dislocated their jaws, making it impossible for them to close their mouths, and only then did Yan Daoxin administer the antidote.

Throughout the process, Yan Shu and Zhu Yu watched with a look of amusement.

Once the antidote took effect on those few people, even though they were bound and unable to move, it was apparent that their eyes could now dart around.

"Are they Jie people?" Yan Shu asked with eager interest, speaking in a voice low enough yet clear to those nearby. "Let me say a few words to them! I’ll help you figure out if they’re really Jie people!"

"You speak the Jie language?" Lu Qing turned to look at her, asking with a slightly skeptical tone.

Lu Zhang looked over, genuinely surprised, without any pretense.

Yan Shu quickly nodded, but before she could speak, Zhu Yu pulled her aside.

"Don’t listen to him boast!" Zhu Yu waved his hands hastily. "Yan here only learned a few phrases as a child, like parroting; let alone mastering it, even if he spoke, the Jie people might not understand a word he’s saying!"

"Oh, it’s not as useless as you say! The most basic questions, like ’Are you a Jie person?’ or ’How old are you?’ I can still manage to communicate!" Yan Shu was indignant. "Otherwise, what do we do? The Jie people are known to speak Central Plains language poorly and can’t understand it. If you don’t let me try, how will you communicate with them yourselves?!

At least we can first confirm if they’re actually Jie people, can’t we?"

Zhu Yu hesitated, looked at Lu Qing, who seemed conflicted, paused, and nodded: "Alright, give it a try."

Yan Shu’s eyes immediately brightened: "Watch closely!"

She spoke as she moved toward the captives.

The captives immediately lowered their eyes, pretending not to listen or understand the conversation.

Yan Shu came within two or three feet, squatted down, and, smiling, drew circles in the air with her upright index finger while speaking in gibberish.

Zhu Yu and Lu Qing had no idea what she was saying and could only guess from her slightly rising tone at the end that it seemed to be a question.

The captives observed her gestures and exchanged glances, nodding in acknowledgment, unable to speak with their jaws dislocated, but letting out throaty sounds of joy, like hearing their native dialect.

Yan Shu’s expression changed abruptly, pulling out a whip from her waist and swinging it.

This unexpected reaction startled not only the "Jie Country bandits" but also Zhu Yu and the others.

The whip snapped, leaving two bloody marks on the faces of the two men at the front.

"Mongrels! You can’t speak a word of Jie but have learned to impersonate Jie people outside, tarnishing their reputation!" Yan Shu scolded angrily. "You were pricking your ears, thinking I was only asking if you were Jie people, huh?!"

With disdain, she meticulously repeated her previous sentence: "Let me tell you what I actually said.

I said — you wretched bastards aren’t worthy even to lick my shoes!

If you had understood any part of it, you’d never have shown those grins!"

The "Jie Country bandits’" expressions changed, not expecting to be tricked and to have misunderstood, thus revealing they couldn’t speak the Jie language.

The leading man snorted, turning his face away, while the other captives remained unresponsive.

Lu Zhang was a bit taken aback, carefully glancing at Yan Shu with some doubt in his eyes but said nothing.

"Who instigated you?" Lu Qing stepped forward, kicking one "Jie Country bandit" to the ground, coldly sweeping his gaze over them. "Don’t pretend to be deaf; you understand every word we’re saying.

Your poison pouches were removed; dying won’t be so easy.

I’m aware that you, as trained assassins, might not fear death, 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

but in our hands, you won’t have the luxury of a quick death."

The captives kept their eyes lowered, determinedly refusing to speak, even if they couldn’t die.

Zhu Yu retrieved a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, nudging Yan Daoxin with his elbow: "Didn’t you always want to try this out? Does it kill people?"

Seeing the porcelain bottle, Yan Daoxin’s eyes lit up with excitement, taking it eagerly: "It doesn’t kill! Absolutely doesn’t kill!

This gem almost slipped my mind; let’s use it and see how it works!"

When Yan Daoxin gave this to Zhu Yu, only Lu Qing had seen it; no one else knew about it. Now, seeing his excited face, they couldn’t help but be curious.

The captives, though thoroughly bound and unable to speak or move, understood everything, fear creeping up as they watched an impeccably handsome man beam with excitement. They wished for a miracle to suddenly close their jaws.

Unfortunately, no such miracle existed on this earth.

Yan Daoxin carefully counted the "heads" on the ground, extracting the exact number of pills from a gourd, ensuring none were wasted. He approached and placed one pill into each captive’s mouth.

The pills almost instantly dissolved, giving the captives no time to react, dissipating in their mouths.

With practiced ease, Yan Daoxin patted each on the chest, ensuring they swallowed both the pill and saliva.